Pot activists march to stop legalization initiative

A group of activists who want to legalize marijuana, but oppose Initiative 502, the marijuana-legalization initiative proposed for the November ballot, marched from Volunteer Park to Westlake Park in Seattle on Saturday.

The group is a splinter of the increasingly mainstream advocates for marijuana legalization in the state. Supporters of I-502 include the state Democratic party, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, and former U.S. Attorney John McKay. The group that marched Saturday said marijuana should be legalized, but not by regulating and taxing it, as I-502 would do.

“An eraser is what we need — a giant eraser,” said Dawn Darington, who says her cannabis treatment cured her breast cancer.

Darington and the group, which marched and gave speeches at both parks, are concerned legalization would attract federal attention, leading to a crackdown. They also oppose limits on growing your own, sharing, and possession and say the DUI limits in the proposed law are too strict.

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The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and includes stories from The Associated Press and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.